We know that Barcelona is one of the most beautiful must-visit places on the earth.We also know that Barcelona could be one of the most crowded visitor destinations in the world.

How can you sketch in Barcelona with ease and peace?What can you sketch on location in Barcelona to capture the essences of it's urban landscapes and architectures, and the vibrancy of the Catalan cultures and life?

Vivienne Lingard, an experienced sketcher, illustrator, art teacher and curator, shows in her travel sketch blog how she embraced the inspiring location sketching experience, with a group of kiwi sketchers during her Travel Sketching Spain Holiday Tour in April 2019, organised by 2WAYS Tours in partnership with ErinHill Sketching New Zealand.

I'm inviting you to share a little of my experiences of sketching in three Spanish cities, beginning with Barcelona, a city made famous by Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) for his unique take on Catalan Modernism architecture.

Amelia and Ellen, our two terrific guides, made sure that our art group experienced the very best of Barcelona right from get go; and took us to Picasso’s old hangout, the Four Cats café, in the Gothic quarter. Posters of Picasso’s prints filled the walls, and we lifted our gaze from our wine and tapas to draw inspiration from the great master.

The next day we were heading out to our first sketching destination. Casa Mila, or La Pedera as it is also known, is the most famous of Antoni Gaudi’s house designs.

My apprehension turned to excitement, as we crossed to the corner diagonally opposite and settled in to capture our best view. Boy. What a complicated structure, but so interesting with its gorgeous organic shapes and decorated windows. None the same as another I might add. I was in awe, but I had a job to do; so off I went sketching loosely across two pages, knowing that I’d be using ink first, and applying colour later.

The following day first up for sketching was the fabulous Plaça Reial. I did a quick pen sketch, and have half-finished a detail of the ‘angel’ whose perfect sculpture was repeated around the centre fountain. A saunter down tree-lined La Rambla next, to mingle with masses of tourists. One great place to pop into is La Bouqueria market, where the amount of food available is staggering.

The following day it was Sagrada Familia. This is Gaudi’s largest project – a cathedral of such immense scope it is hard to credit how he first conceived this vision. We gathered across the lake from the cathedral to draw. I tried, but found the sheer scale of the building too much for me. So I decided to focus on sketching details once we were inside the complex.

Travel sketch alone or in group? Why should you join a travel sketch trip to Spain in a small group?

"Teachers and students learn from one another." (the indigenous Maori learning concept of akoako in Aotearoa/New Zealand)

Vivienne Lingard, an experienced sketcher, illustrator, art teacher and curator, shows in her travel sketch blog how she enjoyed the benefits of learning from the other kiwi sketchers in the group during her travel sketching Spain tour in 2019, organised by 2WAYS Tours in partnership with Erin Hill Sketching New Zealand.

This post is about others – the other sketchers whom I was lucky to spend time with on my recent trip to Spain. Why was I lucky? Because I learned rather a lot from them. The group may be surprised by this statement, as many are new-comers to sketching and are rather modest about their outcomes. But they have an approach to their sketching, that I, as a long-standing ‘sketcher’ lack.

Someone once told me that ‘one can know too much’, and I believe I quietly scoffed at that notion. But, in some ways it is true. I have developed a style, which is fine, and like to use pencil and charcoal over other mediums. I have become proficient in this area. Okay, I hear you saying, what’s wrong with that? Nothing in itself, except it has made me reluctant to step out of my comfort zone and try new things (as much as I protest that I would like to). This is where my learning comes from observing others; not just from the tutor, but the students who showed they were not inhibited by ‘knowing too much’. They welded those pens and paints as if they were born to it.

The groups’ shyness turned to pleasure as the days wore on, just from sketching. The tutor, as I have mentioned before, was always positive, and that positivity fed their output. They weren’t coy about putting paint to paper, and letting colours meld together, as I have been, tending to overwork a piece until it’s ‘muddy’, and so backing off from using watercolour at all.I stood beside many of them as we looked upon the same buildings, or balconies. Did they move off and find something else to sketch like I often did? NO. They took out their pens and sketched, and made a damned good job of whatever confronted them.​The quality of work improved for all of the group over the twelve days we sketched, and I loved watching this happen. All the sketchers now have a quality they can proudly call their own, whether it be a strength in contour-line using pen, or with water colour. It is my pleasure to have shown some of the work that they achieved on our recent Sketch Spain Trip. May we all be able to join together in this way again.

Sketching develops my mind-eye-hand coordination so that everyday tasks can become easier.

Travel sketching brings me the meaningful memory that can last the rest of my life.

I want to be able to see and be seen differently in a pleasant way.

I love to live the time and money freedom I've earned.

I want to feel the fulfilment when I bring home a completed Spain trip sketchbook that I’m proud of.

My sketchbook of the Spain trip could be my personal creative heritage for my family. I believe that sketching Spain holiday enriches life.

So, what's your No.1 reason for travel sketching?

​​P.S. The next 2WAYS Travel Sketch Spain Tours will take place in October 2019 and April 2020 with lots of personal interaction with your skilled sketching tutor and knowledgeable local tour director. ✍🎨✍🎨✍🎨

Celebration of Sant Jordi's Day (St George’s Day) – Catalan Day of Love, Books & Roses starts in Auckland, New Zealand on 23 April 2014. (NZ is the world's first country to see the new light every day.)

The local residents and visitors from Catalonia, Spain, Italy, UK, Ireland, Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Serbia and Iran enjoy the celebration of ''a Rose for Love and a Book Forever'' at Takapuna Library in North Shore, Auckland. It brings the Catalan, Kiwi and a wider community together to read, to talk, to present books and roses, and to share love.

La Diada de Sant Jordi (St George’s Day, 23 April) is like Valentine's Day for the Catalan people in Spain. The main event is the exchange of books and roses between lovers, loved ones and colleagues. Normally, men give women roses, and women give men books to celebrate the occasion - "a rose for love and a book forever."

Legend has it that Saint George, Patron Saint of Catalonia and international knight-errant, slew a dragon about to devour a beautiful Catalan princess. From the dragon's blood sprouted a rosebush, from which the hero plucked the prettiest rose for the princess. Hence the traditional Rose Festival celebrated in Barcelona since the Middle Ages to honor chivalry and love.

In 1923, this lover's "festa" became even more poetic when it merged with "el dia del llibre", or The Day of the Book, to mark the nearly simultaneous deaths of Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare, the two giants of literary history, on 23 April 1616.

In 1995, this tradition inspired the UNESCO to adopt 23 April as World Book Day.

The exhibition is supported by GOVERNMENT of CATALONIA (DEPARTAMENT DE CULTURA I MITJANS DE COMUNICACIÓ), proudly presented by 2WAYS New Zealand Education and Travel Specialists for the Catalan, Spanish and Chinese.

" On behalf of everyone at Takapuna Library thank you so much for taking the time to come and bring a taste of Catalan culture to our staff and customers, it brought a lot of interest, colour and conversation to the Library. You brightened everyone's day! " - Kathy (librarian)

The first celebration of its kind in New Zealand was organised by ﻿2WAYS﻿ at the Christchurch central library in 2010.

What’s next?If you’re interested in a higher level of cultural exchange, you can apply for the 2WAYS Homestay Programme or 2WAYS Internship Programme.